Cops Play Santa, Deliver Gifts, Save Lives: Best Police Stories

Police officers across the U.S. stepped up to help their communities in ways big and small in 2017. Patch was there to capture some of the above-and-beyond steps the boys in blue took this year.

It’s not all life-saving stuff — though there’s no shortage of that. Police were there to brighten up a child’s birthday party and help lost packages find their way home for the holidays.

Here are the top Patch stories of police officers doing good in 2017:

Cops Play Santa With Recovered Amazon Packages
Police in Walnut Creek, California, found six courier bags stuffed with undelivered Amazon packages in bushes after someone called in a tip in early December. After a brief investigation, officers got to work delivering the packages the next day.

Police Converge On 5-Year-Old’s Birthday Party
In March, Nancy Larson emailed the Livermore Police Department and asked if there was a patrol car that might be able to stop by her 5-year-old son’s birthday party in March. Larson said she was in total disbelief when she saw the first patrol car drive up her long driveway. It was followed by another. And another, until six cruisers and a community service car, all with police lights on, lined her driveway.

Drowning 2-Year-Old Saved By Vacationing NJ Police Officer
A vacationing New Jersey police sergeant jumped into action in August, saving the life of a drowning two-year-old at a Florida beach. The child was blue and not breathing when recovered from the water, police said, but the officer began CPR and was able to resuscitate the child

Cop Responds After Kid Reports Grinch Stealing Christmas
Watching a full suite of “Grinch” movies in December was enough to make 5-year-old TyLon Pittman call the cops on the green villain for stealing Christmas. Mississippi police officer Lauren Develle responded to the call to reassure the little boy that his and other children's Christmas celebrations were safe.

Shop With A Cop: Police Officers Brighten California Christmas
Police officers in Alameda, California, who are members of the Police Officers Association paired with some children from various Alameda elementary and middle schools last past week. The delighted children spent a few hours roaming the aisles of Target in search of perfect holiday gifts.

Officer Helps Woman Turn Life Around With DUI Arrest
It’s not often police are thanked by a person they arrested. But that’s just what happened to one Virginia cop. Sergeant Seth Weinstein was thanked by a woman he’d arrested years ago for DUI. "She told me she'd been going through a bad time in her life at that point, and the arrest was kind of a wake up call for her to change what she was doing," Weinstein told Patch.

Kids Caught Doing Good Given A Free Slurpee By The Police
Kids caught doing good deeds in one New Jersey town this summer found themselves holding a free Slurpee drink courtesy of the local police department. East Brunswick police partnered with 7‑Eleven to hand out free Slurpee coupons this summer through "Operation Chill."

Photo credit: Alameda Police Department